“This was supposed to be a romantic getaway, Colin. Now, everyone’s fawning over you, like you’re some superstar or something. We’re already cooped up on a boat in the middle of the sea, but now you want to confine me to a room and a private hot tub?” she asked.
“It isn’t ruined, Abby. But your mindset will going to ruin it for us,” I said. “Look, I’m going to talk with the security team on the boat and tell them what’s going on. They’ll keep the crowds at bay and we can continue to enjoy our cruise. No one else will come up to us. Look, Bernie and Doris didn’t know who I was, and didn’t really care once they found out. Maybe they’d like to come to our room for a movie and some drinks.”
“You can’t put a Band-Aid on this, Colin.”
“I’m not trying to,” I said. “This trip isn’t spoiled, Abby. You just think it is.”
“Oh, so this is all in my head now?” she asked.
“No, it’s not. That isn’t want I said. It is definitely real and it’s here. Nobody knows that better than me, but you have to find ways to cope. You have to find ways to enjoy life despite an aspect of it that you might not like.”
“This was supposed to be for us, Colin. And now I’m being forced by you to change the way I view it because of them. I’m having to tailor my life because of them.”
“What do you want me to say, Abby? You were aware of the press and the fame I had before I proposed to you. Did you think that getting married would change any of that?”
“Well, maybe we shouldn’t be getting married, Colin! Did you ever think about that!?”
I felt the blood drain from my face as Abby tossed herself into bed. She wiggled under the covers, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs. I felt like utter shit. I knew she was struggling and upset, but she was struggling and upset over the one fucking thing I couldn’t control. I could keep her safe. I could keep her connected. I could keep her employed. I could keep her warm and loved and sexually satisfied and wanting for nothing in her life.
But what I couldn’t do was control the paparazzi.
What I couldn’t control was my fame.
What the hell was I supposed to do with this? What was I supposed to tell her? I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart bleeding out into my legs. I felt my body growing heavy with guilt and sadness. We had the perfect start to this cruise and I genuinely thought she was onboard for marrying me. I genuinely thought she was beginning to see how good the two of us were together.
And now, we were back to square one. Back to where we were before this damn cruise happened in the first place.
I waited until Abby was asleep before I slipped in bed beside her. I rolled over onto my side, my back to her as I watched the waves undulate in the distance. The boat was due to pull away from the port at any second, whisking us away to our final destination before sailing home.
But I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to go back to L.A. If we touched ground in California with things still this tense between us, I wasn’t sure we were going to make it.
At this moment, I wasn’t at all sure that Abby and I were going to make it to the altar.
Chapter 18
Abby
The next day was another day of hustling and bustling. If Colin had already talked to the security staff on the ship, it didn’t seem like they were doing their job. I had to fight off the crowd just to stay next to Colin on our way to breakfast, and I almost lost him when we were disembarking the ship. We had docked at St. Lucia for the day and had planned an ocean excursion. One that would put us right there at the coral reef so we could snorkel and enjoy the fish.
But the crowds were relentless and it was hard to even keep hold of his hand.
We piled onto the bus that was going to take us to our excursion and the crowd was insane. The bus was packed with people asking him questions, and some even leaned over me to try and get a picture with him. It was like I wasn’t even there. Like they had no regard for my presence whatsoever.
Finally, Colin had apparently had enough.
“Excuse me, could I have everyone’s attention?”
He stood up on the bus as people began recording his every move.
“My beautiful fiancé and I are trying to enjoy our day here on this wonderful island. Some of you have even been leaning over her to get pictures with me. While I enjoy all of the support you all show me on a daily basis, I can’t allow you to disregard her in this manner. She is here trying to enjoy her first cruise ever, and she can’t even have my attention. I cherish you all, and your support is priceless to me. But please, let Abby and I enjoy our time together.”
He sat back down in his seat before he pulled me close to his side. I could tell a few people were shocked and upset, but they didn’t try to approach us any longer. I cuddled into him close and nuzzled his neck with my nose as pride surged in my chest.
He had stood up and defended me, effectively choosing me over them.
The rest of the bus ride was fairly silent. We traveled the island and looked out the windows. My hand caressed Colin’s thigh as his fingers traced pictures on my arm. The beauty of the island was spectacular,
